orangutan holding a shaving razor

The Murders in the Rue Morgue

by Edgar Allan Poe

Start Free Trial

Themes and Characters

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

The main character, Auguste Dupin, is eccentric, somewhat egotistical, and rather reclusive. He possesses a keen eye for detail and excels at forming logical conclusions from his observations. His companion, who is relatively unremarkable compared to Dupin, primarily serves as a contrast to Dupin's brilliance. Additionally, this companion functions as a listener for Dupin's explanations and a conduit for conveying his thoughts.

Had the routine of our life at this place been known to the world, we should have been regarded as madmen...
The essence of the story, which has become central to nearly every detective story since, focuses not on the crime itself but on Dupin's method of solving it. The aspects of the murders that baffle the police—such as the conflicting reports from neighbors about the language they heard and the apparent impossibility of entering the room where the murders occurred—are the very clues that Dupin uses to unravel the case. He resolves the first issue by deducing that the perpetrator must have been an animal. The second issue he addresses through a process of elimination, demonstrating that what seems impossible is indeed possible. When Dupin reveals that an escaped orangutan committed the murders, he is satisfied with outsmarting the police; ever since, successors of Dupin have continued to outwit police inspectors.

Characters

Download PDF PDF Page Citation Cite Share Link Share

The central character, Auguste Dupin, is eccentric, quite self-centered, and somewhat of a recluse. He possesses a keen sense of observation and excels at forming logical chains based on his observations. His companion, in contrast to Dupin, is rather ordinary and primarily serves to highlight Dupin's brilliance. Additionally, this companion acts as a listener for Dupin's explanations and conveys his thoughts to the audience.

The essence of the story, much like in nearly every detective tale that followed, focuses not on the crime itself but on Dupin's method of solving it. The aspects of the murders that baffle the police — the conflicting witness reports about the language spoken and the seemingly impossible means of entering the crime scene — are precisely the clues that allow Dupin to crack the case. He addresses the first issue by deducing that the perpetrator was an animal, and he tackles the second by using a process of elimination to show that what seems impossible is, in fact, possible. When Dupin reveals that an escaped orangutan committed the murders, he takes satisfaction in outsmarting the police; ever since, Dupin's intellectual descendants have been outwitting police inspectors in similar fashion.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Previous

Themes

Next

Analysis

Loading...